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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you want your 12-15 year old to have the Covid vaccine when it is available?

106 replies

lonelyapple · 14/09/2021 12:58

With the announcement that Covid vaccines for children aged 12-15 will most likely be going ahead in the next few weeks, I am just wondering if you have children in this age group do you want them to get the Covid vaccine? Would have put it this in the Covid board but no voting option there.

YANBU = yes
YABU = no

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 14/09/2021 13:01

I'm not keen no. I don't think it is necessary for her and there are too many unknowns.

I'm hoping as she currently has covid that it will be a while before she is allowed to have it anyway so will give us some breathing room. She's also only 12.

I've always felt it should be available as a choice for those who are vulnerable/live with vulnerable etc but I'm not convinced about a mass programme. On top of the flu jab too which is now going to go through secondary too...

FatAnkles · 14/09/2021 13:01

DD is 15. We have had a lot of discussion about it. She has done plenty of research online, and seen arguments for and against. I think she will probably say no. We support her.

SummerHouse · 14/09/2021 13:04

Overall I would want DS to have it (I think, but it's a close call) but it's up to him. Research, make a choice, be supported in whatever the choice may be.

soapboxqueen · 14/09/2021 13:06

My 12 yo has already had his

RandomWordGenerator · 14/09/2021 13:06

12 year old DC. He is keen to get it, but I’ll sit down with him and look at the statistics on what impact it has on the likelihood of catching Covid and of passing it on, vaccinated vs not. As well as the information on side effects, how likely he would be seriously ill etc.

He has enough understanding of risk and the impact on others to be able to make up his own mind,

I’m very pro covid vaccination, but this is for the benefit of other people’s health and for the benefit of his education and society as a whole, so I think it should be thought carefully from a different perspective to my own decision.

MissyB1 · 14/09/2021 13:11

12 year old ds, yes he will be getting it.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 14/09/2021 13:13

Yes I would if / when it becomes available for younger kids.

It's not the covid risk that worries me, it's long covid, which is a lot more likely than becoming seriously ill or dying from covid itself.

As someone who has a chronic fatigue condition, the stigma and lack of help around conditions like this are horrible and I will do what I can to stop my children being exposed to it

k4523 · 14/09/2021 13:13

Yea

PinkiOcelot · 14/09/2021 13:14

One of my dds is 17 so not actually in this cohort. She has had her vaccine but made that decision herself. I would have preferred her not to. I just don’t see the necessity. Also she caught COVID a few weeks later and was really ill with it. Who knows if she would have been worse without the vaccine. There’s no telling.

Lindy2 · 14/09/2021 13:15

DD13 has already had Covid. I am happy for her to have the vaccination too.

I see it as a booster to the antibodies she hopefully already has. If vaccines for this age group mean school can carry on with less disruption and staff and pupils are safer, then she will do her part to help that.

mamatoTails · 14/09/2021 13:19

I live abroad and it's been available for over 12s for a month or so now.
Pfizer.
Majority of the kids are getting vaccinated, my son is on the minority of being 13 and not being vaccinated.
I've just had mine. However I don't feel it necessary for children to have it and I won't be consenting to it.

FindingMeno · 14/09/2021 13:20

Yanbu

LookItsMeAgain · 14/09/2021 13:20

Living in Ireland the 12-15 year olds have been asked to get the vaccine and the numbers I have witnessed getting the vaccine is very very pleasing to see. Ireland now has over 84% of it's population over the age of 12 years old fully vaccinated.

My DD has had both her vaccinations (we're giving 2 doses of the Pfizer to this age bracket).
She was asked if she wanted to get it (we would have supported her either way) and she wanted to get it, so she got it.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 14/09/2021 13:23

"Who knows if she would have been worse without the vaccine. There’s no telling."

Statistics show that the effect of having the vaccine is to massively reduce the chances of becoming very ill across the population. So chances are she would have been more ill without the vaccine.

It's not just about protecting older people either. Young people can get ill with it, but also the more people that are vaccinated the less chance of new variants and further lockdowns etc

Greenbather · 14/09/2021 13:24

Yes, but 14 year old said they don't want it because doesn't like jabs.
It is up to her but hope she changes her mind and gets it. Will not be pressurising her in any way, it is going to be her decision.

Clocktopus · 14/09/2021 13:25

12yo DS will be getting it, he's keen to have it done too.

CarrotCakeMuffins · 14/09/2021 13:27

I have a 15yo / Year 11 child. She and I both want her to be vaccinated. She needs minimal disruption of her schooling during her GCSE year and I believe this will help.

Horst · 14/09/2021 13:30

My 12ds has said he won’t be having it. Not because it’s a covid jab but because it’s a jab full stop. It’s a needle thing.

SecretIdentitee · 14/09/2021 13:32

Am in Ireland, my 13 Yr old had their 2nd Pfizer vaccine this morning, my 14 Yr old had hers last week and 17yr old 3 weeks ago. Bloody delighted we are all now vaccinated. Have managed to get through so far with no one getting it and now even less chance and if we do it will minimise reactions. Its a relief.

Deadringer · 14/09/2021 13:35

I haven't decided yet. I am very pro vaccine and all my older dc got it as soon as it was available to them, but my youngest is 12 and very small and light for her age (she looks about 9/10) so i am not sure if its even suitable for her. She still in primary school and bubbles are very tightly enforced there, i will make sure she gets it before she starts in secondary though, because they move around so much for classes and are in different groups for different subjects. She really doesn't want to get it done which doesn't help.

DarwenToDartmouth · 14/09/2021 13:38

Yes. And having seen his unvaccinated big brother (16) so poorly with Covid in July he is desperate to have the jab.

MarshaBradyo · 14/09/2021 13:38

Thinking about it, not sure yet, 12 in Dec

PlinkPlankPlunk · 14/09/2021 13:39

Yes I do, and she really wants to have it so she’ll be absolutely delighted.

Does anyone know whether they will do it in schools, like the other jabs or will we make appointments at vaccine centres?

ChnandlerBong · 14/09/2021 13:42

already discussed it with dd (15) as her 17 year old brother had his last month.

we've looked at pros and cons and she wants to have it which we support.

avoid long covid/bad infection and also help diminish societal risk of further mutations. plus give her a clear run at Y11

Sushirolls · 14/09/2021 13:44

Absolutely no chance my yr 11 DC is having it.

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